fish
noun /fɪʃ/
/fɪʃ/
(plural fish, fishes)
Fish is the usual plural form. The older form, fishes, can be used to refer to different kinds of fish.Idioms - enlarge image
- They caught several fish.
- In the pool she could see little silvery fish darting around.
- tropical/marine/freshwater fish
- Herring are relatively oily fish.
- shoals (= groups) of fish
- There are about 30 000 species of fish in the world.
- The list of endangered species includes nearly 600 fishes.
- a fish tank/pond
- Fish stocks in the Baltic are in decline.
- Fish farming has boomed in the past three decades.
Collocations The living worldThe living worldAnimalssee also coarse fish, flatfish, flying fish, game fish, sea fish, shellfish, wet fish- animals mate/breed/reproduce/feed (on something)
- fish/amphibians swim/spawn (= lay eggs)
- birds fly/migrate/nest/sing
- insects crawl/fly/bite/sting
- insects/bees/locusts swarm
- bees collect/gather nectar/pollen
- spiders spin/weave a web
- snakes/lizards shed their skins
- bears/hedgehogs/frogs hibernate
- insect larvae grow/develop/pupate
- an egg/a chick/a larva hatches
- attract/find/choose a mate
- produce/release eggs/sperm
- lay/fertilize/incubate/hatch eggs
- inhabit a forest/a reef/the coast
- mark/enter/defend (a) territory
- stalk/hunt/capture/catch/kill prey
- trees/plants grow/bloom/blossom/flower
- a seed germinates/sprouts
- leaves/buds/roots/shoots appear/develop/form
- flower buds swell/open
- a fungus grows/spreads/colonizes something
- pollinate/fertilize a flower/plant
- produce/release/spread/disperse pollen/seeds/spores
- produce/bear fruit
- develop/grow/form roots/shoots/leaves
- provide/supply/absorb/extract/release nutrients
- perform/increase/reduce photosynthesis
- bacteria/microbes/viruses grow/spread/multiply
- bacteria/microbes live/thrive in/on something
- bacteria/microbes/viruses evolve/colonize something/cause disease
- bacteria break something down/convert something (into something)
- a virus enters/invades something/the body
- a virus mutates/evolves/replicates (itself)
- be infected with/contaminated with/exposed to a new strain of a virus/drug-resistant bacteria
- contain/carry/harbour bacteria/a virus
- kill/destroy/eliminate harmful/deadly bacteria
Extra ExamplesTopics Fish and shellfisha1- He landed a big fish.
- I cleaned and filleted the fish.
- The fish aren't biting (= taking the bait ) today.
- fish farmed in Canada
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- freshwater
- marine
- saltwater
- …
- school
- shoal
- catch
- land
- breed
- …
- swim
- hatch
- bite
- …
- species
- eggs
- bowl
- …
- a regular diet of fresh fish
- fried/grilled/smoked/dried fish
- fish pie/soup
- The chef's fish dishes are his speciality.
- Fish forms the main part of their diet.
Extra ExamplesTopics Fooda1- Remove the skin and flake the cooked fish.
- This fish tastes funny.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- fresh
- dried
- frozen
- …
- bit
- piece
- fillet/filet
- …
- eat
- have
- clean
- …
- taste
- bone
- fillet/filet
- dish
- …
- fish and chips
Word OriginOld English fisc (as a noun denoting any animal living exclusively in water), fiscian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vis, vissen and German Fisch, fischen.
Idioms
be like shooting fish in a barrel
- (informal) used to emphasize how easy it is to do something
- What do you mean you can't do it? It'll be like shooting fish in a barrel!
a big fish (in a small pond)
- an important person (in a small community)
a cold fish
- a person who seems unfriendly and without strong emotions
a different kettle of fish
- (informal) a completely different situation or person from the one previously mentioned
drink like a fish
- (informal) to drink a lot of alcohol regularly
- Simon was drinking like a fish that evening.
a fish out of water
- a person who feels uncomfortable because he or she is in an environment that is not familiar
have bigger/other fish to fry
- to have more important or more interesting things to do
neither fish nor fowl
- neither one thing nor another
- The hovercraft has always suffered from the fact that it is neither fish nor fowl.
an odd/a queer fish
- (old-fashioned, British English) a person who is slightly strange or crazyTopics Personal qualitiesc2
there are plenty more fish in the sea
- used to comfort somebody whose romantic relationship has ended by saying that there are many other people with whom they may have a successful relationship in the future